The present invention generally relates to a drug or cell delivery system and more specifically, to a drug or cell delivery system for multisegmental injection of substrate and/or cells into an animal or human.
Currently used devices employ multiple vertical spinal cord injections to deliver cells into multiple spinal cord segments. (Feron et al., Brain, 2005: 128: 2951-2960.) The risk of secondary spinal cord injury resulting from multiple vertical injections is high as it can lead to a mechanical trauma of otherwise intact and functional spinal cord tissue.
Previous devices developed for multiple depositions of cells into brain tissue have used plastic injection cannulas which bends after exiting the guide needle and therefore do not permit deposition of the injectate in a single plane (if measured against the guide needle). See FIG. 2C of Brecknell and Fawcett, Experimental Neurology, 1996; 138: 338-343.
The second type of device which was developed for brain injections describes the use of a rigid type of guide needle which can hold a specific angle (shape) and can be used for guided placement of flexible injection needle or possibly for injections. See page 1498—Material and Methods section of Cunningham et al., Neurosurgery, 2004; 54: 1497-1507.
As can be seen, there is a need for apparatus and methods for delivering a substrate into the spinal cord of a mammal while minimizing the number of required injection sites.